Whitehall grad Nick Shafnisky will be Lehigh's starting quarterback

KEVIN MINGORA / THE MORNING CALL

Lafayette's Ben Aloi (right) sacks Lehigh's Nick Shafnisky (left) during their 149th meeting in college football Saturday afternoon. Lafayette went on to win 50 - 28. /////ED NOTE\\\\\\ Kevin Mingora / The Morning Call 149th meeting between Lehigh University and Lafayette College in football Saturday afternoon November 23, 2013. ***** Aloi might be up for more Lafayette football (11/27/13) ***** Shafnisky lookign to bloom at QN (03/30/14) ***** Lehigh loking to clean up, heal up (04/19/14) ******

Lafayette's Ben Aloi (right) sacks Lehigh's Nick Shafnisky (left) during their 149th meeting in college football Saturday afternoon. Lafayette went on to win 50 - 28. /////ED NOTE\\\\\\ Kevin Mingora / The Morning Call 149th meeting between Lehigh University and Lafayette College in football Saturday afternoon November 23, 2013. ***** Aloi might be up for more Lafayette football (11/27/13) ***** Shafnisky lookign to bloom at QN (03/30/14) ***** Lehigh loking to clean up, heal up (04/19/14) ****** (KEVIN MINGORA / THE MORNING CALL)

Lehigh football coach Andy Coen said early Saturday night after his team's scrimmage that Nick Shafnisky would be his starting quarterback when the Mountain Hawks season opens Sept. 6 at Goodman Stadium against James Madison.

The Whitehall graduate played in four games last season as a freshman and won his first career start at Colgate.

He finished 2013 going 25-for-44 in the air for 326 yards and five touchdowns, but also had three interceptions.

He ran 28 times for 109 yards and one TD.

"He's getting better every day he comes out here," Coen said. "He has started to overcome some things. He can make a bad play and come right back and overcome it on the next play. He has been throwing the ball well, makes plays with his feet and he has done a nice job with his leadership.

"He's light years ahead of where he was last year. Twenty practices ago I wouldn't have told you that, but he's really stepped up."

Coen admitted that his decision was made easier because Matt McHale, a senior who was also vying for the starting job, hasn't been healthy.

"I kind of feel bad for Matt," Coen said. "I didn't make any grandiose announcement, but I told the guys last week of our plans and I told Matt that we want him to keep working to get healthy.

"I was hoping that by making the decision early, Nick would get more reps and get more comfortable in the leadership role. That stuff has panned out and I feel good about that."

Shafnisky is happy about the decision, but is not relaxing by any stretch.

"We'll see ... we're still competing," Shafnisky said. "I feel like I am performing well. Mentally, you can always get better. With this offense and playbook, you're not going to be perfect with it, so you have to keep working.

"I am just trying to learn more and more and the linemen are helping me out like crazy."

Shafnisky said he's immensely more comfortable with everything than he was at the start of last season and at the end of the year when he struggled against Lafayette.

"The biggest thing is reading the defense and that's just going to come with experience and going over film," he said. "Me and Matt just didn't have the day we wanted to have against Lafayette and that was probably the biggest stage I've been on to this point and the biggest game of my career.

"That game is now out of our heads. We can't get that ring back, so all we can do is take it a game at a time and hope that the game at Yankee Stadium at the end of this season is for another championship."